Machine for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms



1936- J. T. LANCASTER 2,063,172

MACHINE FOR USE IN APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Filed Sept. 5, 19552 Sheets-Sheet l n I I I i VE/V 7 07 1 7 zbawua 7 F v my;

D60 1936- J. T. LANCASTER 2,063,172

MACHINE FOR USE IN APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Filed Sept. 5, 19332 Sheets-Sheei 2 Fig. 2.

Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES QFFICE MACHINE FOR USE IN APPLYINGPRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Application September 5, 1933, Serial No.688,182

13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for use in applyingpressure to shoe bottoms and is herein illustrated as embodied in amachine for cement attaching soles to shoes.

It is an object of my invention to provide a machine having improvedmeans co-operating with a shoe receiving pad or pads for holding shoesthereon while the sole attaching pressure is applied. The illustratedmachine is of that type in which a plurality of shoe receiving pads arecarried by or are connected to form an endless conveyor, each of thepads, in accordance with a feature of my invention, being provided witha slidably mounted standard carrying a holddown which serves as anabutment to receive the thrust of the sole attaching pressuretransmitted thereto by the shoe and last. As illustrated herein, and inaccordance with other features of my invention, each standard isprovided with latching means which may be actuated to hold it inoperative position, and means is provided at an operating station atwhich the pads are successively presented by which the operator cancause the standards of the successive pads to be moved into and latchedin operative position prior to the application of the sole attachingpressure. While the invention is disclosed herein as embodied in aconveyor-type machine, it should be understood that in various of itsaspects it is applicable also to machines of other types.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention willnow be described in connection with the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a cement sole attaching machine of theendless conveyor type embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view on a larger scale of one of the shoe receivingpads with its slidable standard and holddown, showing in section a latchby which the standard and holddown may be secured in operative position;and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line III-III of Fig. 2.

Each of the shoe receiving pads it of the illustrated machine comprisesan air-tight bag of rubber or other suitable material provided with anintake valve l 2 through which air under pressure may be introduced andwith an exhaust valve I4 through which the compressed air can bereleased after a suitable interval. These may be the well-known Schradervalves, or any other suitable type of valve may be used. The bags Ill,

which may be reinforced and/or covered, if desired, in any suitablemanner, are housed in metal box-like members It, hereinafter spoken offor convenience as boxes. Similarly each bag I0 and its box IE ishereinafter called for convenience a pad box.

Each pad box is provided at each end with a pair of rolls l8 journaledthereto, as indicated at 20 (Fig. 2), running in channeled-shaped tracks22 carried by a frame 24, the tracks being provided with upper and lowerparallel portions, shown in cross section in Fig. 1, connected at theirends by semi-circular portions. The successive pads are connected, asshown at 26, to a pair of endless chains 28. Thus the pad boxes areconnected to or form an endless conveyor which may be moved step by stepby any suitable mechanism.

Each pad box is provided with holddown mechanism illustrated generallyat at the top of Fig. 1 and controlled by mechanism actuated by atreadle 32 located at what may be termed the operating station. Each ofthe holddown mechanisms, one of which is provided for each of the padboxes, comprises a standard 34 mounted for rectilinear sliding movementin a bracket 36 secured to the box I6 at one side thereof in such mannerthat the standard extends vertically and may he slid in that directionwhen the pad box is at the operating station. One of these holddownswill now be described, assuming it to be in the position which itoccupies while the pad box is at the operating station.

Secured to the upper end of the standard 34 is a goose-neck 38 to theend of which is secured a horizontal rod or bar 40 extending lengthwiseof and above the pad l0. Adjustably clamped to the rod 40 are a lastengaging abutment 42 and an abutment 44 arranged to engage the forepartof a shoe S on the pad ID. A spring 46, the lower end of which is housedin a socket 48 (Fig. 2) formed in the bracket 36 and the upper end ofwhich is housed in a socket 50 formed in the lower end of the gooseneck38, is strong enough to lift the column 34, the goose-neck 38 and theholddown carried thereby. To lower the standard 34 at the appropriatetime a plate 52 is secured to the lower end of the standard 34underlying, when at the operating station, a plate 54 (Fig. 1) which issecured to the upper end of a vertically slidable rod 56 carried by acasting 58 mounted on a part of the frame 24. The lower end of the rod56 is connected by a pivot, slide block and slot connection 59 to theend of an arm of a bell crank lever 69 fulcrumed at 92 to a portion ofthe casting 59, the end of the other arm of the bell crank 89 beingpivoted at 64 to a link 86 the other end of which is pivoted at 68 tothe end of the upwardly extending arm of another bell crank lever '19.The bell crank lever I9 is fulcrumed at 32 to the frame 24 and itsother, horizontally extending, arm is connected by a rod 14 to thetreadle 32. A spring 16 tends to rock the bell crank lever I9 in acounterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby rocking thebell crank lever 69 in a clockwise direction and lifting the rod 59until a collar I8 secured to its lower end contacts with a portion ofthe casting 58. Thus it will be seen that by depression of the treadle32 the operator can pull the rod 58 downwardly and by reason of theengagement of the plate 54 with the plate 52 can depress the standard 34thereby bringing the abutments 44, 42 into engagement with a shoe andlast on the pad I9.

Means, which will be described later, is provided for latching thestandard 34 in its depressed position in which it isheld whilecompressed air is introduced into the pad I9 through the valve I2thereby applying the sole attaching pressure. The compressed air isintroduced through a movable nozzle 99 carried on the end of a slidablymounted pipe 82, the nozzle 89 being provided with a valve (not shown)for preventing the escape of the compressed air until the nozzle isbrought into engagement with the nipple of one of the valves I2. Thepipe 82 may be moved by any suitable mechanism. For example, the machinemay be provided with a treadle 84 pivoted to a treadle rod 88 the upperend of which is pivoted to a bell crank lever 88 fulcrumed at 99 to theframe 24. The other arm of the lever 88 is pivoted to a link 92 thefurther end of which slides through a sleeve 93 pivoted at 94 to thelower end of a lever 96 which is fulcrumed at 98 to a bracket I99carried by the frame 24. Preferably the pivot 94 passes through a slotextending lengthwise of the rod 92. The other end of the lever 96 ispivoted to a sleeve I92 secured to the pipe 82. A tension spring I94anchored at one end to a collar I96 carried by the frame 24 and at theother end to a collar I98 secured to the rod 92 tends to move the rod 92to the right as illustrated in Fig. 1, thereby raising the treadle 84. Acompression spring H9, which surrounds the rod 92, bears at one endagainst the sleeve 93 and at the other end against a collar I I2 clampedto the rod. Thus it will be seen that when the treadle 84 is depressedthe air tube 82 will be moved to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, theforce however being yieldably transmitted by the spring I I9 and whenthe treadle 84 is released the tube 82 will be withdrawn by a forcewhich is exerted by the spring I94. It should be understood that thedetails of the mechanism for controlling the admission of the compressedair are no essential part of my invention and may be varied as desired.

The standard 34 is provided near its lower end with a series of ratchetteeth I29 (Fig. 2) arranged to cooperate with a detent or pawl I 22carried by the end of a hollow plunger I24 which is mounted forhorizontal sliding movement in a passage-way formed in the bracket 39. Afinger I29 extends upwardly from the sleeve I24 through a slot in thebracket 39 and is engaged by the outer end of a compression spring I28the inner end of which is housed in a hole formed in the bracket 36.Thus the spring I28 tends to urge the sleeve I24 away from the standard34 thus releasing the detent I 22 from the ratchet teeth I20. A plungerI39 housed in a casting I32 secured to the casting 36 is provided with ahead I34 received within the hollow of the plunger I24. A compressionspring I39, housed within the plunger I24, is of such length that it maybe engaged by or disengaged from the head I34 of the plunger I39. Thusit will be seen that pressure upon the plunger I39 will tend to compressthe spring I39 and will move the plunger I24 to the left, as viewed inFig. 2, so that the detent I22 will be brought into cooperative relationwith the ratchet I29 thereby permitting downward movement of thestandard 34 to operative position with the consequent compression of thespring I38 but preventing upward movement of the standard 34 until thedetent I22 is released.

Means is provided at the operating station by which the plunger I39 maybe caused to operate the detent I22 and this is herein disclosed as0perated by the treadle 32 in such a manner as to cause the latchmechanism to be rendered operative before the standard 34 is pulleddown. Accordingly, a rod I49 is mounted at the side of the box I6 forsliding movement parallel to the rod 34. The rod I49 is provided with ahead I42, 2. portion of which, when the pad box is at the operatingstation, lies within the path of movement of the plate 54 which, it willbe remembered, is carried by the rod 59 and is operative, when thetreadle 32 is depressed, to move the standard 34 and the holddown 39into operative position. A tension spring I44 is anchored at one end tothe plate I42 and at the other end to a pin I45 which is carried by thebox I6. Thus the spring I44 tends to lift the rod I 49 when the pad boxis at the operating station, the parts normally assuming the positionshown in the upper portion of Fig. l. A lever I59 is fulcrumed at I52 toeach of the boxes I8 and is connected by a pin-andslot connection I54with the rod I49. The other end of the lever I 59 is provided with a cammember I56 arranged to engage the plunger I39 and, when the rod I49 isdepressed by the actuation of the treadle 32, to force the plunger I39to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, thereby compressing the spring I36 andforcing the pawl I32 into operative relation with the ratchet I29, thearrangement being such that the plate 54 contacts with the plate I42 anddepresses the rod I49 before the plate 54 reaches the plate 52.Therefore, by the time the downward movement of the standard 34 isstarted the pawl I22 will be in operative position ready to engage theratchet I 29 and hold the standard in any position to which it may bedepressed.

In the operation of the device, before each pad box reaches theoperating station it will have passed means (not shown) for operatingthe exhaust valve I4 thereby relieving the air pressure in the pad andso reducing the pressure between the pawl or detent I 22 and the toothofthe ratchet I29 which it engages that the spring I28 can move the sleeveI24 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, thereby releasing the standard 34which is thereupon lifted by its spring 46. Thus, when the pad boxreaches the operating station, the operator can remove the shoe at onceand can immediately replace it with another suitably prepared shoe andsole. He will then depress the treadle 32 thereby moving the pawl I 22to its operative position and depressing the standard 34 and theholddown 3|] with its abutments 42, 44. if he wishes he may introduce alittle air into the pad I0 by momentarily depressing the treadle 84 soas to facilitate the handling of the shoe as the abutments 42, 44 arebrought down. After the latter have been brought down to the desiredposition, in which they are held by the detent I22 and ratchet l 20, theoperator depresses the treadle 84 thereby moving the nozzle 80 intoengagement with the valve l2 and inflating the bag 10 to the desiredextent. Then the operator releases both treadles and the pad box is incondition to maintain the pressure while it passes around the circuitand until it reaches the means for operating the release valve [4.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine for use in applying pressure to work pieces comprising aplurality of pad boxes each with a work piece receiving pad containedtherein, a holddown mounted on a single standard located at one side ofeach pad box, manually operated means for depressing said standardssuccessively as they are presented thereto to bring the respectiveholddowns into operative relation to work pieces on the respective pads,and latch mechanisms carried by the pad boxes operable to hold thestandards depressed relatively to the pads.

2. A machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms having, incombination, a shoe receiving pad, a pad box containing the pad andprovided with a bracket in which is mounted a vertically slidingstandard carrying abutments constructed and arranged to engage a shoeand last in operative position on the pad, treadle actuated mechanismfor depressing said standard and abutments relatively to the pad to holda shoe in operative position on the pad, a latch carried by the pad boxand arranged to hold said standard in depressed position, andconnections whereby displacement of the treadle of said mechanism alsooperates said latch.

3. A machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms having, incombination, a pad provided with a single vertically sliding standardcarrying a last engaging abutment constructed and arranged to engage thecone of a last in operative position on the pad and an abutment formedand arranged to engage the forepart of a shoe on said last, treadleactuated mechanism for depressing said standard and abutments relativelyto the pad to hold the last and a shoe mounted thereon in operativeposition on the pad, and a latch for holding said standard in depressedposition.

4. A machine for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising ashoe receiving pad, a standard located at one side of the pad, a shoeengaging device mounted thereon, a latch, and manually operatedmechanism operable first to render the latch operative to hold thestandard against movement from the pad and then, while the latch is insaid operative condition, to depress the standard thereby applyingpressure to the shoe on the pad.

5. A machine for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising apad constructed and arranged to receive a sole and a shoe positionedthereon, shoe and last engaging abutments mounted on a single standardlocated at one side of the pad, treadle actuated means for depressingsaid standard to bring the shoe and last engaging abutments intooperative relation to a shoe which is to be clamped to a sole on thepad, and pawl and ratchet mechanism operable to hold the standarddepressed relatively to the pad.

6. A machine for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising ashoe receiving pad, a single standard located at one side of the pad, ashoe engaging device mounted thereon, pawl and ratchet mechanism, andtreadle actuated mechanism operable first to render the pawl and ratchetoperative to hold the standard against movement from the pad and then,while the pawl and ratchet are in said operative condition, to depressthe standard thereby applying pressure to the shoe on the pad.

7. A machine for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising aflexibly connected series of inflatable shoe receiving pads forming anendless conveyor, a shoe engaging device mounted on a standard locatedat one side of each pad, means for depressing the standards to bring theshoe engaging devices into operative relation to shoes on the pads, alatch operable to hold the standard depressed relatively to each pad,and means for introducing fluid under pressure into the pads.

8. A machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms having, incombination, a conveyor comprising a, plurality of shoe engaging padsconnected by an endless flexible member, each pad being provided with arectilinearly movable holddown member constructed and arranged to engagea shoe in operative position on the pad, mechanism for moving saidholddown members rectilinearly toward the respective pads to hold shoesin operative position on the pads, and a latch for holding each of saidmembers in depressed position.

9. A machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms having, incombination, a conveyor comprising a plurality of inflatable shoeengaging pads connected by an endless flexible member, each pad beingprovided with a slidable holddown member constructed and arranged toengage a shoe in operative position on the pad, mechanism for slidingsaid holddown members toward the respective pads to hold shoes inoperative position on the pads, a latch for holding each of said membersin depressed position, and means for introducing fluid under pressureinto the respective pads.

10. A machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms having, incombination, a conveyor comprising a plurality of shoe engaging padsconnected by an endless flexible member, each pad being provided with avertically sliding holddown member constructed and arranged to engage ashoe in operative position on the pad, operator controlled mechanism fordepressing said holddown member relatively to the pad to hold a shoe inoperative position on the pad, and means for holding said member indepressed position.

11. A machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms having, incombination, a conveyor provided with a plurality of pads formed andarranged to receive shoes to which pressure is to be applied, each padbeing provided with a holddown member vertically movable toward and fromoperative position relatively to a shoe on the pad, a latch for securingeach holddown member in depressed position, and treadle actuatedmechanism arranged to depress the holddown of one of the pads and thento cause the latch of that pad to secure the holddown in depressedposition.

12. A machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms having, incombination, an endless conveyor provided with a plurality of fluidfilled pads formed and arranged to receive shoes to which pressure is tobe applied, each pad being provided with a holddown member verticallymovable toward and from operative position relatively to a shoe on thepad, a latch for seeming each holddown member in operative position, anda manually operable controller arrangedfirst to put the latch of a padat an operating station into operative condition and then to depresssaid holddown member thereby causing the latch to hold it in depressedposition.

JOHN T. LANCASTER.

